Cian Ferriter is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the High Court since October 2021. He previously practiced as a barrister specialising in commercial and media law.

Cian Ferriter
Judge of the High Court
Assumed office
5 October 2021
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byMichael D. Higgins
Personal details
NationalityIrish
EducationSt Benildus College
Alma mater

Early life edit

Ferriter attended secondary school at St Benildus College in Kilmacud, County Dublin, until 1986.[1] He studied at University College Dublin, graduating with a BCL degree in 1993 and an arbitration diploma in 2000.[2] He was the auditor of the University College Dublin Law Society between 1991 and 1992 and was the individual winner of the Irish Times Debate in 1992.[3][4]

His brother Diarmaid Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin.[5]

He was the moderator of the second series of the television programme The Blackbird And The Bell on RTÉ One.[6][7]

Legal career edit

He became a member of the Irish bar in 1998 and a senior counsel in 2011.[8] He has been involved in cases involving injunctions, insolvency law, tax law, company law, procurement law and intellectual property law.[9][10][11][12][13][14] Among parties he represented were the estate of James Joyce, the Criminal Assets Bureau, Brian Curtin, Dublin Airport Authority, Anglo Irish Bank, the National Asset Management Agency and Google.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

He has acted for financial institutions in debt enforcement cases, including the Bank of Ireland in enforcement actions against Brian O'Donnell and Everyday Finance against Ivor Callely.[22][23] He was counsel for John Gilligan in a 2003 appeal to a conviction for possession of drugs for supply and for Thomas Murphy in 2007 in a challenge against the Criminal Asset Bureau.[24][25] He was appointed to represent the Garda Commissioner at the Barr Tribunal and represented the Mahon Tribunal in a High Court action taken by Bertie Ahern.[26][27] He was counsel for Tomasz Zalewski in the Supreme Court of Ireland who successfully challenged the constitutionality of aspects of the Workplace Relations Commission.[28]

Ferriter frequently appeared in defamation cases, acting for RTÉ in actions taken by the politicians Beverley Flynn and Joe Costello, for Independent News & Media against Monica Leech and for The Irish Times against Maurice McCabe.[29][30][31][32]

The Central Bank of Ireland appointed him chairperson of the Irish Takeover Panel in June 2018.[33] In 2019, he became a board member of the Irish Traditional Music Archive and Poetry Ireland.[34][35]

Judicial career edit

Ferriter was nominated to the High Court in September 2021.[36] He was appointed on 5 October 2021.[37]

He has presided over cases involving refugee law, judicial review, personal insolvency, medical negligence and personal injuries.[38][39][40][41][42]

Personal life edit

He lives in Dublin and writes poetry. He was the winner of the 2019 Westival International Poetry Competition and runner up of the 2020 Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition.[43]

References edit

  1. ^ "St Benildus at 40 . . . celebrating the best education money can't buy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Judicial appointments". Facebook. UCD School of Law. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  3. ^ "A century of wit and verbal combat". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. ^ "The Irish Times Debate at 60: How changing topics reflected the ages". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ "A scholar with passion on his mind". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  6. ^ Holt, Eddie. "The Provos: history or current affairs?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  7. ^ "BLACKBIRD AND THE BELL, THE". TCD.ie. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Cian Ferriter". Law Library. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. ^ Reid, Gillian. "Damages not adequate compensation for breach of copyright on interlocutory application". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Insolvent MNL in liquidation". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Tax appellant entitled to be placed in same position as if Revenue charter undertaking had been met". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  12. ^ "On application for restriction of directors, the test is whether they acted honestly and responsibly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Legal challenge to broadband tender rules". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  14. ^ Carolan, Mary. "Ikea takes court case over sale of similar prints". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Joyce estate gets book injunction". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Cab freezing of Jackson lands extended". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Statement on Curtin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  18. ^ Carolan, Mary. "Ryanair berated over late payments". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Former Anglo executive in court action". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  20. ^ Hancock, Ciaran. "Treasury challenge to Nama set for next month". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  21. ^ Cherfi, Saurya. "Politician 'compared to Isis' seeks right to be forgotten". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  22. ^ Brophy, Daragh. "One more week? Brian O'Donnell is staying in Gorse Hill until next Thursday". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Callely and wife sued over €2.9m loan for properties". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Gilligan loses drugs conviction appeal". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Review of Murphy Cab tax case". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  26. ^ Healy, Alison. "Chairman urged to consider pressures on gardai". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Ahern documents to tribunal covered by legal privilege". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  28. ^ O'Faolain, Aodhan. "Supreme Court rules in favour of man dismissed from job in important test case". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Beverly Flynn finalises ?1,225,000 settlement with RTE". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  30. ^ O'Faolain, Aodhan. "RTÉ asks court to strike out damages claim made by politician Joe Costello". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Court dismisses Monica Leech libel case". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Maurice McCabe settles defamation action against Irish Times". Irish Examiner. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  33. ^ "New Chairpersons of Takeover Panel and Investment Compensation Company DAC (ICCL) Announced". Central Bank of Ireland. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  34. ^ "Board". ITMA. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Poetry Ireland Board". Poetry Ireland. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  36. ^ "Five new High Court judges nominated as 'tsunami of litigation' expected". Irish Independent. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  37. ^ "Diary President Appoints Judges To The High Court Oct2021". president.ie. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  38. ^ "Judge dismisses Syrian man's challenge to reunification refusal for 18-year-old son". BreakingNews.ie. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  39. ^ "Garda who engaged in sex act in Garda station wins challenge over suspension". BreakingNews.ie. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  40. ^ "Appeal can proceed against insolvency plan that allows man to pay €93 towards mortgage each month". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  41. ^ O'Faolain, Aodhan. "Court strikes out action against deceased doctor's estate over alleged misread cervical samples". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  42. ^ O’Loughlin, Ann (18 February 2022). "Toddler injured by ceiling fan in Tenerife aparthotel room awarded €12k". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  43. ^ "Authors". Honest Ulsterman. Retrieved 25 September 2021.